Steam snow-shovel



(No Model.)

y W. A.r WOODS.

STEAM SNOW sHovBL.

N0. z'18,382. 'Patented Maly 29,1883.'

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e-ntgmsaas PATENT OFFICE.,

WILLIAM A. WOODS, OE woonEoEDs OORNEE, MAINE, ASSIGNOE uro HIM- SELE AND LOUISE A. WILLIAMS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STEAM sNow-,sI-l'ovEL.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters `:Patent No. 278,382, dated May 29, 1883.

` Application filed October 26, 1882.` (No model.)

new and useful Improvement in Steam Snow- Shovels, of which the following is a description suflicientlyfull, clear, and exact to ena' ble any person skilledin the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and `use the same, 4reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-e l l Figure l is an isometrical perspectiveview, and Fig. 2 a sectional end view.

Like letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in the different iigures of the drawings. I, My invention relates to that class of snowshovels which are designed to he operated by steam-power in clearing the snow from the tracks of railways; and it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, by which a new and more effective device of this character is produced than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A is a platform car or truck, which is provided with an engine, B, for operating the shovel. Disposed at the forward end of the car Vare two vertically-arranged posts, C U, respectively provided with the braces D D, and carrying at their upper ends the horizontally-projectingframe-worlr E. J ournaled `horizontally in `proper bearings on the car A are two shafts, G G, one being arranged over each of the rails H of the road, and in parallelism therewith. These shafts carry at their forward ends a series of shovels, m m, attached to the outer ends of radial arms a q, secured in the stocks or hubs d d, each of the hubs being preferably provided with three arms. x The blades of the shovels are slightly inclined to their arms, or so arrangedthereon that when they pass over the rails H they will stand in a vertical or nearly vertical position.

Projecting downwardly from the forward end Ot' the frame E are two lugs Or brackets, J J, in which theouter ends of the shafts G G are journaled and supported.

Mounted on the car A, near the engine B,

there is a double crank-shaft, K, provided at its outer ends with the miter-gears f f, which intermesh with corresponding gears, Z l, on the shafts G G, the crank of the shaft K being connected with the engine by the pitmanrod L. Each of the shafts G carries at its forward end a hub, i, having a series of stout radial arms, g g. These arms are not provided with shovels like the arms a a, and are designed for breaking in advance of the shovels m the ice or crust which sometimes covers the snow. The iirst three sets of arms tra nearest the car A are longer than those next to the breakers or arms g g, the Yshovel-arms being gradually shortened from the center sets `to the outer ends of the shafts G, so that the advance shovels, or .those nearest the outere'nds of the shafts, will remove the upper layers of thesnow, and those nearer the car the middle and lower layers. y

The engine B is designed to be provided `with'proper mechanism foroperating the shovels, which it is not deemed necessary to illustrate fully in this connection.

In the use of my improvement the car A is driven or pushed forward by means of the engine (not shown) employed for drawing the train to which the shovel 'is attached, and at 'the same time power is applied 4by means of the engine B to the shaft K through the pitman L, causing the 'shafts G G to be rotated inwardly or in the direction of the arrows, the shovels m being thus brought into contact with and removing the snow from the track, in a manner which will be readilyl obvious without amore explicit description.

The hubs t are arranged alternately on their respective shafts, or in such a manner that the shovels on one shaft will not interfere or come into contact with those on the other as the shafts are revolved.

I am aware that rotary shafts provided with .short shovel-carrying arms at different angles of a snow-plow, and also that rotary shovelcarrying'shaftsrhave been placed over an inclinedplatform mountedl on a Wheeled truck.v

Having thus 4explained my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination of a railway truck or car, a forwardly-extended frame attached to the front end of said truck, parallel shafts arranged longitudinally ou said truck, means for operating said shafts, and rotary interlapping shovels attached to said shafts, the shovels or" shovels are gradually shortened, substantially as described.

2. The combination ol" a railway car or truck, a forwardly-extended frame attached to zo the front end thereof, two parallel horizontal shafts, rotary breakers near the front ends of said shafts, and radial shovel-carryingl arms attached to said shafts, said armsY `bein g gradually shortened from the center of the series 25 toward the forward end thereof, substantially as described.

WM. A. WOODS.

Witnesses:

o. A. SHAW, H. E. METGALF. 

